Llanelli Magistrates' Court (Image: Mark Harvey / Alamy)
Last Updated: 2 minutes ago
A driving instructor has been handed a suspended prison sentence after he was caught nearly four times over the legal alcohol limit – while on his way to collect a learner for a lesson.
Timothy Howells, 54, from Burry Port, was arrested after his car was found in a roadside ditch following a single-vehicle collision on the A484 between Pembrey and Kidwelly in Carmarthenshire at around 7:38am on Friday, February 20.
The collision
Dyfed-Powys Police said officers attended the scene and found Howells, a local driving instructor, appearing heavily intoxicated. He provided an initial roadside breath test reading of 110 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath – more than three times the legal limit of 35.
While in custody a short time later, Howells gave a second evidential breath test reading of 132 – nearly four times over the limit.
The admission
A police statement said: “In interview, Howells admitted that when he was arrested by officers, he was on his way to collect a pupil for a driving lesson.”
Sentencing
Howells appeared at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court, where he was given an eight-week custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to engage with an alcohol treatment programme for nine months and must carry out 100 hours of unpaid work within 12 months.
He was banned from driving for 30 months, which will be reduced by 30 weeks on completion of a driving course.
Police response
Chief Inspector Christina Fraser, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: “Mr Howells was operating in a position of great trust and responsibility; Roads Policing officers have worked quickly in conjunction with colleagues, CPS and the DVSA, to ensure learner drivers and other road users have been safeguarded from an individual who presented a serious risk of harm.”
The legal alcohol limit in Wales, England and Northern Ireland for driving is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, or 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
